Introduction

An evaluation of the ancient Tang astrology text of Li Hsu Chung Ming Shu supports the impression that current Zi Wei Dou Shu and Ba Zi Eight Characters divination have seriously suffered from imperial falsifications down the ages (see article www.guiculture.com/fs09lm28ziwei4.htm ). Other current analysts are also beginning to realise that the imperial circles could have falsified a number of Feng Shui and astrology texts down the ages.

We have carefully evaluated line by line the 300 odd lines or verses of the Tang astrology text Li Hsu Chung Ming Shu, which is said to be Li Hsu Chung's annotation of an earlier text by Gui Ku Zi, a god of divination. Current Ba Zi Eight Characters practitioners claim that their divination originated from Li Hsu Chung. But, it is obvious, even from a preliminary reading of the text, that current Ba Zi Eight Characters divination is a great deviation and far cry from what Li Hsu Chung taught.

• The Tang astrology text Li Hsu Chung Ming Shu, is supposed to be the second oldest Chinese astrology text. The oldest is said to be Yu Zhao Ding Zhen Jing attributed to Guo Po of the Jin dynasty. We have also evaluated this Yu Zhao Ding Zhen Jing.

My earlier evaluation of ancient Feng Shui texts already indicates that there is at least one important astrology principle in those ancient texts which is no longer significant in current Ba Zi Eight Characters divination and even Zi Wei Dou Shu. This one important astrology principle is that of the 12 Stages of Life Cycle.

• Of the Tang text Li Hsu Chung Ming Shu, Kent (2010) had written, "Nevertheless, understanding the book and interpreting its contents is not a walk in the park. Cryptic verses are always barriers to the retrieval of true knowledge from the originator."

  Despite the difficulty of understanding Li Hsu Chung Ming Shu, it is easy to see that a major methodology in this text is the comparison (albeit complicated) of the Na Yin with the 12 Stages of Life Cycle.

The Imperial Falsification

Why are there the differences between the ancients texts and current practices? Zoe Foo (2009) noted (see article: "www.13voices.com/bazi-ming-dynasty-qing-dynasty/" ):

• "Chinese Metaphysics has its highs and lows over its long period of development. For one, BaZi reading style went through some fundamental changes during the last 2 imperial eras in China. The changes were so drastic that one needs to discern if the differences were:

  A result of political agenda to hide certain texts
  A progression (or degeneration) in both social and academic trends
  Borne out of necessity to yield better accuracy"

It is questionable that the current version is more accurate than the original version. Analysis of other ancient geomancy texts indicates that the imperial government seriously hid or faked various important geomancy texts to prevent the potent information from being used by the public. "A result of political agenda to hide certain texts" is indeed the more likely main reason. The imperial circle did not want unauthorised persons to use the geomancy secrets to threaten the throne.

Therefore, the imperial circle used techniques of hiding, faking, forgeries, water downing. A clear case of hiding is seen in that, the emperors forbade, on pains of execution of the whole family, the ordinary people from using the star ephemeris to get accurate datings. Instead, the emperors created faulty calendars to mislead the people into use of error ridden dates.

• The imperial circle has also been accused of producing fake copies of the Zi Wei Dou Shu manual.

A number of Chinese astronomers and geographers, who knew better, probably felt helpless to combat the imperial agenda. Many fell prey to the imperial game. Some of the more daring and independent ones fled before the imperial axe fell upon them.

Major Errors

If you ask around, it can be found that the vast number of practitioners hardly read the ancient texts. Some tried but came away confused by what they claimed the profound language. For hundreds of years they had no real way of checking what they had been practising with the original authentic texts, a trend facilitated by the traditional difficulty of getting the original ancient texts. These practitioners faithfully swallowed and passed down the errors ridden teachings.

Ba Zi Eight Characters divination has been used by the ordinary people since the Sung dynasty. However, the emperors did not use Ba Zi Eight Characters divination. Instead, as another example of hiding, the emperors used the far more potent palace version Zi Wei Dou Shu or Emperor Purple Star astrology, which became revealed to the public only during the fall of the Manchu dynasty.

• I have noted "palace version", as the current Zi Wei Dou Shu is sadly distorted!

It has been passed around that Ba Zi Eight Characters divination and potent Zi Wei Dou Shu are two different unconnected systems. However, our research has found that the 30 odd stars of Ba Zi Eight Characters are actually derived from part of the over 100 stars of Zi Wei Dou Shu. This is a case of the imperial circle water downing the astrology for the public.

It has also been said that the over 100 stars of Zi Wei Dou Shu are imaginary stars. But our research has found which planetary systems and movements these stars actually are! In fact, once the astronomical basis is found and the hiding removed, Zi Wei Dou Shu is actually of the same system as Western and Hindu astrology, which should be the case reflecting the universal nature of astronomy and astrology.

• Ba Zi Eight Characters has always been recognised as a simple system in comparison with the more comprehensive Zi Wei Dou Shu. It is also conceded that the simpler Ba Zi Eight Characters divination cannot match the complexity of either Western or Hindu astrology. However, Zi Wei Dou Shu is admitted to have a complexity which rivals those of Western and Hindu astrology. An astrology like Zi Wei Dou Shu was the original universal astrology, from which simpler versions, like Ba Zi, had originated.

Certain cryptic passages have made Li Hsu Chung Ming Shu difficult to understand. The said passages are often cryptic in the sense that, at that time, Li Hsu Chung assumed that the subject matters of concern were already known to readers and did not elaborate much within the text. Of Na Yin and the 12 Stages of Life Cycle we still have some current sources to understand them. Unfortunately, through the passage of time, many other subject matters became blurred and this renders the said passages enigmatic.

In fact, the difficulty in understanding many ancient texts lie in that they are not complete texts. They are meant to be understood in the context of other information which exist outside the texts. One has to be very widey read to master the ancient texts.